President Biden will deliver a speech he never intended Monday evening, addressing the Democratic National Convention as he attempts to pass the mantle to Vice President Kamala Harris while burnishing his own legacy as a rare one-term president who is not seeking reelection.
The speech bookends one of the more unusual months in modern American politics as Biden, 81, was nudged aside by his own party four weeks ago over concerns he lacked the vigor to defeat former President Trump. Instead of speaking Thursday night, as the nominee, he will speak on the opening night, along with failed 2016 nominee Hillary Clinton, before heading off for vacation in Santa Barbara County.
The party is now trying to celebrate him, while acknowledging that his exit has added excitement to a race that seemed headed toward failure just four weeks ago.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who helped orchestrate the effort to persuade Biden to drop out, called him “selfless” and “one of the greatest, most consequential presidents in our country’s history” while speaking to reporters Monday at the California delegation breakfast. “I just wanted to win this election,” she said, when asked about her now-frayed relationship.
Democrats are planning on welcoming Biden as a hero. But he remains unpopular with the nation at large, with approval from 38% of voters compared with 56% who disapprove of him, according to the Fivethirtyeight.com polling average.
Biden is hoping those numbers will improve over the next several years, as they often do for former presidents, when they retreat from the daily news cycle. Since announcing his departure from the campaign, Biden has tried to boost Harris by pointing to his legacy projects, including trillions spent on infrastructure, the social safety net and environmental projects.
